To link to the entire object, paste this link in email, IM or documentTo embed the entire object, paste this HTML in websiteTo link to this page, paste this link in email, IM or documentTo embed this page, paste this HTML in website

l STATE Bl'- iW,"- ;" W" -- T. . X ? f IV HCI3TWTJ1& BIA, MO. 6520.
ST. 12-?-- 74
- See Sports, Page 7.
68th Year - No. 280 Good Morning! It ' s Friday, A up. 20, 1976 16 Pages - 1 5 Cents
Ford's debate challenge brings quick 6yes9
B9b8HIhBHO9EBBkmB
It was a family affair Thursday as the public had its first look
at the 1976 Republican ticket when President Ford
announced his choice for running mate, Sen. Robert Dole of
Kansas, standing by the podium. To the right of Dole stands
his wife Elizabeth, Betty Ford and the President. From left
are Steve Ford, Susan Ford, Gale Ford and her husband
Mike. Sen. Paul Laxalt, R- Ne- v., is standing behind Dole.
( Missourian photo by John Scanlan)
KANSAS CITY ( UPI) President
Ford Thursday challenged Jimmy
Carter to " face to face" campaign
debates and Carter accepted with
lightning speed before Ford had
Siushed delivering his nomination
acceptance speech.
The debate challenge a dramatic,
- last- minu- te addition to Ford's speech
and Carter's consent meant the nation
again would witness a presidential
campaign spectacle similar to the John jf
Kennedy- Richar- d Nixon debates of
1960
Launching his 1976 presidential
campaign with a peace, prosperity and
party unity acceptance speech, Ford
also struck lighting with the words, " It
really feels good to have Ron Reagan on
the same side of the line "
The convention hall erupted in cheers
and Reagan, seated high above Ford in
a VIP box, stood with his wife Nancy to
beam down at the smiling President
and raise his clasped hands in the
boxer's victory salute
Then he and Ford looked straight at
each other and exchanged raised hand
salutes
The debate challenge to Carter was
not in Ford's prepared text and the
President's aides spread word of it to
the news media as Ford traveled to
convention hall There, brimming with
confidence amid frequent applause,
Ford said, " This year the issues are on
our side'
" I'm ready, eager to go before the
American people and debate the real
issues face to face with Jimmy Carter "
The conventioneers interrupted him,
leaping to their feet at the mention of
Carter's name and chanting, " We Want
Ford! We Want Ford!" When it died
down, the President continued:
" The people have the right to know
first hand exactly where both of us
stand"
Carter's press secretary Jody Powell
immediately summoned reporters to
his motel room in Plains, Ga., to
announce Carter accepted the
challenge
" I'm asking President Ford to join
me in a debate or a series of debates on
the choices facing the American peo-ple,"
Carter's statement said
Powell said Carter had planned to
issue a similar challege, only to find the
President had beat him to the punch
The President and Mrs Ford were
cheered and applauded for seven
minutes, the convention orchestra
playing " Hail to the Chief," " The
Michigan Fight Song" and
" Hallellujah'"
Then Ford, his arms raised in V- for- Vic-tory
signals, called a halt to the
demonstration and launched into a
speech that promised continued
economic recovery, peace and a
balanced federal budget
Ford, whose nomination climaxed a
rugged, six- mon- th struggle with Ronald
Reagan, chose Sen Robert Dole, a
staunch Kansas conservative, as his
running mate
The man Ford conquered early
Thursday, Ronald Reagan, received an
immense reception when he entered the
arena To the shouts of " Speech,
Speech, Speech," Reagan decided to
try to stem the wild demonstrations by
agreeing to address the throng.
But when the reception slackened,
Reagan changed his mind and chose not
to speak and dun the political limelight
on Ford's night
Despite token and symbolic
opposition from Sen Jesse Helms of
North Carolina, the leader of hard- cor- e
conservatives, the convention followed
tradition and nominated Dole as the
GOP vice presidential candidate
It was a magic moment for Ford,
he very nearly became the first GOP
incumbent denied the nomination since
( See FORD, Page 16)
Few details given
: on K. C. security
By Allison Finn
4 Missourian staff writer
KANSAS CITY Security was so
tight at the Republican National
Convention that most law enforcement
officials could not even talk about it.
" The Secret Service is nere to fulfill
our protective responsibilities to our
protectees, but the Secret Service never
comments on the number of agents we
have assigned," said Special- - Agent
George Cosper.
" I just can't tell you how many people
we have here," said Capt Stone of the
para- rrulita- ry Pinkerton Security
Guard Service which, along with the
Burns, Wackenhut, Advance and other
private security firms, provided
protection for news organizations and
hotels involved in convention activities
In any event, security precautions
were very much in evidence. Crowds of
policemen clustered around the
Kemper Arena at all hours of the day,
and others lingered at the nearby
Livestock Exchange Building awaiting
an emergency. None had arisen prior to
Thursday night's closing session
Eighteen Missouri law enforcement
agencies sent a total of about 1,200
officers to the convention. Most worked
12- ho- ur shifts
In addition, the Secret Service sent
several hundred of its agents, some of
whom guarded the candidates, while
others manned the elaborate security
banners at Kemper Arena. A few were
posted on the roof of the convention
hall, eyes fixed on the gathering below,
rifles ready.
-- fl& Scpatblfcsa National Committee,
which supervised the security
operation, devised a complicated
system of passes into the arena. They
wore beige one day, blue the next,
green the next, and were checked for
authenticity at points of entry with
ultra- viole- nt lights that, on the genuine
passes, revealed a hidden pattern.
Secret Service agents guarded each
gate with the assistance of metal
detectors Walkie- talki- es were listened
to, tape recorders were tested and even
( See STANDARDS, Page 16)
Although the men in charge of security during
the Republican National Convention would not
say much about the precautions that were taken,
the amount of security was evident everywhere
including the rooftopsof buildings in the area.
( Missourian photo by John Scanlan)
' lit town -
today
7: 15 p. m. Friday Night
Duplicate Bridge Club will meet
at the IOOF Hall, Tenth and
Walnut Streets.
Exhibits
Continuing: Ellis Library,
Textiles Through Two Milleiua, 2
to 5 p m , and Italian Baroque
Drawings, 2 to 5 pm Public
Library, Scenes from Columbia,
watercolors by Lois Mikrut, and
Twentieth Century Doll
Collection loaned by Lois Miller.
Truck bill could increase prices
ByJohnYoch
Missourian staff writer
Consumers in Columbia and small
towns may end up paying more for
some consumer goods if federal
legislation to " modernize" the trucking
industry's regulations is enacted,
trucking industry spokesmen say.
The Motor Carrier Reform Act,
written by the U. S. Department of
Transportation, has two features that
make industry members grind their
gears and teeth in rage: The act would
radically change the rate- maki- ng
structure of the industry to make rates
competitive and it would liberalize
entry into trucking.
George Vitt, executive vice president
and general manager of Orscheln Bros.
Truck Lanes, Inc , said most shipments
coming into a small " consumer town"
such as Columbia are less than a full
truck load " In most cases, they
( shipments) are money losers," he
said.
Small retail stores and service
Isisigbt
companies in Columbia receive
merchandise and supplies from
common carriers, which serve many
companies. If the act becomes law,
these companies would have to pay
higher shipping costs or suffer
curtailed service, Vitt said, and this
would mean higher costs to consumers.
The higher costs would result from
the act reducing the profits truck lines
earn on major routes having demand
for full truck loads, which subsidize the
unprofitable service to small towns,
Vitt said The small town service is
required of a earner when it obtains
Interstate Commerce Commission
( ICO certification, a legal necessity
Only a small town that has heavy
manufacturing, such as Centraha, can
have sufficient demand for full- loa- d
shipments so that service to the town is
profitable, Vitt said. Centraha would
not be considered a consumer town,
unlike Columbia and other Boone
County towns
Vitt's statements are backed up by an
American Trucking Associations, Inc.,
survey, which was tagged as " Small
Town Blues " The survey showed 61 7
per cent of 900 responding truck lines
said they would not service all of the
small towns they presently service if
the ICC did not require it
Lee Sollenbarger, trucking
association president, said the act could
benefit urban consumers, but only at
the expense of rural and small- tow- n
consumers
The key to how these effects would
take place lies in the bureau system of
the trucking industry Bureaus are
private companies whose trucking- compan- y
members vote on rates for
shipment- siz- e classifications
Members of a bureau legally are not
bound to adhere to the rates voted on,
( See FIRMS, Page 13)
Gretchen Lockett quits
day care center post
ByKatherinePhfllipB
Missourian staff writer
Anderson- Haye- s Child Care Center
will advertise for a new director this
Gretchen Lockett resigned as
director a post she held less than
three months after a stormy meeting
of the board members Thursday night
Tossing her written resignation at
board chairman David Thayer, Ms.
Lockett announced, " I have dene my
best, despite all sorts of harassment.
I've washed dishes here . . . I've
trained teachers ... I've done
everything I can to make the place run
. . . I've had it." She then gathered her
belongings from her office and left the
center.
After almost an hour's debate in
closed session, board members voted 6
to 5 not to ask Ms. Lockett to return as
director.
A disagreement about the possibility
of admitting kindergarten children to
the center's program on a half- da- y
basis was the precipating cause of Ms.
Lockett's dramatic departure.
When school begins Monday, the
center will lose 29 of its 44 children.
Eight children will enter first grade
and thus " outgrow" the center's
preschool program. But 21 children will
enter kindergarten, and thus be in
school only half- day- s. Before this year,
Anderson- Haye- s accepted such
children, but the center's new Title XX
contract pays only for fulltime
preschoolers. Unhappy parents
questioned Ms. Lockett at length at the
board meeting about her efforts to
obtain half- da- y funding for the
kindergarteners.
After giving a detailed explanation of
her efforts to straighten out this
problem, Ms. Lockett left the room.
When she returned in five minutes, she
announced her resignation. Board
members listened briefly in silence,
then simultaneously broke into
questions and explanations among
themselves, while several teachers
attending the meeting began sobbing.
Gretchen Lockett
Surprise resignation ,
The meeting had opened amid tension
and controversy when board members
voted 5 to 4 to retain Kerry Fisher as
bookkeeper- accounta- nt at the center.
Ms. Lockett had recommended that his
contract be terminated immediately
There were two abstentions.
Fisher, who is white, last month filed
a complaint of racial discrimination
with the Commission of Human Rights
and Community Relations against Ms
Lockett who is black. Commission
( See REHIRING, Page 18)
Court approves
15- ce- nt jail levy
By Michael Days
Missourian staff writer
The Boone County Court voted
unanimously Thursday to ask voters to
approve a 15 cents per $ 100 assessed
valuation one- ye- ar tax levy for a jail
addition.
The court agreed a week ago to place
the jail tax referendum before the
voters, but did not determine the
amount Northern District Judge
Rodney Smith had suggested that the
court might need to seek a 16- ce- nt levy
because the cost of building the jail
since the original proposal in
November 1975 has risen about 13 per
cent.
But the court reviewed the county's
assessed valuation, set at about $ 240
million, and determined that the 15
cents per $ 100 valuation increase would
raise about $ 360,000.
Smith told the court that the cost of
building the addition in 1977 could be as
high as $ 352,000, according to a report
prepared by the architects. The
original cost of the addition was
estimated at $ 320,000 to $ 325,000.
A county homeowner with a house
valued at $ 30,000 would pay about $ 15
for the jail addition
Southern Distinct Judge Carolyn
Lathrop and Smith agreed the court
should appoint a committee of county
residents to inform Boone Countians of
the need for the 48- pers- on addition.
Lathrop already had begun to seek
individuals to serve on the committee.
But Presiding Judge Bob Brown said,
" It is not up to the County Court to feed
public relation information." The court
did not take any action
Merle Wright, board president of the
Boone Retirement Center, presented
the court with petitions bearing what he
said were more than 670 signatures as a
requirement for a $ 2.8 million bond
referendum the center hopes to place
before the county voters in November.
Current plans call for a 120- be- d
addition.
Missourians
could repeal
tax on food
By Michael S. Weisberg
State capital bureau
JEFFERSON CITY Missounans
will vote Nov. 2 on a constitutional
amendment that would repeal and
prohibit sales taxes on food and drugs,
Secretary of State James Kirkpatnck
announced Thursday.
Kirkpatnck received the petitions
last month with the signatures of
165,421 registered voters His office
verified 117,000 of these, assuring the
proposal a place on the November
ballot. More than 100,500 signatures
were required
If approved by the electorate, the
amendment would exempt drugs and
food purchased for " off premises
human consumption" from taxation
The law would become effective Jan. 1,
1978, with the delay intended to give the
legislature enough time to increase
taxes to replace revenue lost by the
amendment
Supporters of the amendment long
have argued that the sales tax's
regressMty is inequitable since the
heavier burden falls on low- - and
middle- incom- e families
Marie Towley, vice president of the
Tax Reform Group, said, " This tax is
most unfair because it is a tax on basic
human needs. Low- inco- me families
spend the largest proportion of their
income on food, and senior citizens on
fixed incomes pay the largest share on
medicine "
Among the amendment's opponents
is Gov. Christopher Bond. Bond said
last March, " If the people vote
themselves a tax decrease ( on food and
drugs), they have to realize they are
voting themselves a tax increase in
some other area."
The governor said he is unsure what
type of tax increase he would
recommend to replace the sales tax
revenue. It is possible, Bond said, that
income taxes, sales taxes in other areas
( See SCHOOL, Page IS)

l STATE Bl'- iW,"- ;" W" -- T. . X ? f IV HCI3TWTJ1& BIA, MO. 6520.
ST. 12-?-- 74
- See Sports, Page 7.
68th Year - No. 280 Good Morning! It ' s Friday, A up. 20, 1976 16 Pages - 1 5 Cents
Ford's debate challenge brings quick 6yes9
B9b8HIhBHO9EBBkmB
It was a family affair Thursday as the public had its first look
at the 1976 Republican ticket when President Ford
announced his choice for running mate, Sen. Robert Dole of
Kansas, standing by the podium. To the right of Dole stands
his wife Elizabeth, Betty Ford and the President. From left
are Steve Ford, Susan Ford, Gale Ford and her husband
Mike. Sen. Paul Laxalt, R- Ne- v., is standing behind Dole.
( Missourian photo by John Scanlan)
KANSAS CITY ( UPI) President
Ford Thursday challenged Jimmy
Carter to " face to face" campaign
debates and Carter accepted with
lightning speed before Ford had
Siushed delivering his nomination
acceptance speech.
The debate challenge a dramatic,
- last- minu- te addition to Ford's speech
and Carter's consent meant the nation
again would witness a presidential
campaign spectacle similar to the John jf
Kennedy- Richar- d Nixon debates of
1960
Launching his 1976 presidential
campaign with a peace, prosperity and
party unity acceptance speech, Ford
also struck lighting with the words, " It
really feels good to have Ron Reagan on
the same side of the line "
The convention hall erupted in cheers
and Reagan, seated high above Ford in
a VIP box, stood with his wife Nancy to
beam down at the smiling President
and raise his clasped hands in the
boxer's victory salute
Then he and Ford looked straight at
each other and exchanged raised hand
salutes
The debate challenge to Carter was
not in Ford's prepared text and the
President's aides spread word of it to
the news media as Ford traveled to
convention hall There, brimming with
confidence amid frequent applause,
Ford said, " This year the issues are on
our side'
" I'm ready, eager to go before the
American people and debate the real
issues face to face with Jimmy Carter "
The conventioneers interrupted him,
leaping to their feet at the mention of
Carter's name and chanting, " We Want
Ford! We Want Ford!" When it died
down, the President continued:
" The people have the right to know
first hand exactly where both of us
stand"
Carter's press secretary Jody Powell
immediately summoned reporters to
his motel room in Plains, Ga., to
announce Carter accepted the
challenge
" I'm asking President Ford to join
me in a debate or a series of debates on
the choices facing the American peo-ple,"
Carter's statement said
Powell said Carter had planned to
issue a similar challege, only to find the
President had beat him to the punch
The President and Mrs Ford were
cheered and applauded for seven
minutes, the convention orchestra
playing " Hail to the Chief," " The
Michigan Fight Song" and
" Hallellujah'"
Then Ford, his arms raised in V- for- Vic-tory
signals, called a halt to the
demonstration and launched into a
speech that promised continued
economic recovery, peace and a
balanced federal budget
Ford, whose nomination climaxed a
rugged, six- mon- th struggle with Ronald
Reagan, chose Sen Robert Dole, a
staunch Kansas conservative, as his
running mate
The man Ford conquered early
Thursday, Ronald Reagan, received an
immense reception when he entered the
arena To the shouts of " Speech,
Speech, Speech," Reagan decided to
try to stem the wild demonstrations by
agreeing to address the throng.
But when the reception slackened,
Reagan changed his mind and chose not
to speak and dun the political limelight
on Ford's night
Despite token and symbolic
opposition from Sen Jesse Helms of
North Carolina, the leader of hard- cor- e
conservatives, the convention followed
tradition and nominated Dole as the
GOP vice presidential candidate
It was a magic moment for Ford,
he very nearly became the first GOP
incumbent denied the nomination since
( See FORD, Page 16)
Few details given
: on K. C. security
By Allison Finn
4 Missourian staff writer
KANSAS CITY Security was so
tight at the Republican National
Convention that most law enforcement
officials could not even talk about it.
" The Secret Service is nere to fulfill
our protective responsibilities to our
protectees, but the Secret Service never
comments on the number of agents we
have assigned," said Special- - Agent
George Cosper.
" I just can't tell you how many people
we have here," said Capt Stone of the
para- rrulita- ry Pinkerton Security
Guard Service which, along with the
Burns, Wackenhut, Advance and other
private security firms, provided
protection for news organizations and
hotels involved in convention activities
In any event, security precautions
were very much in evidence. Crowds of
policemen clustered around the
Kemper Arena at all hours of the day,
and others lingered at the nearby
Livestock Exchange Building awaiting
an emergency. None had arisen prior to
Thursday night's closing session
Eighteen Missouri law enforcement
agencies sent a total of about 1,200
officers to the convention. Most worked
12- ho- ur shifts
In addition, the Secret Service sent
several hundred of its agents, some of
whom guarded the candidates, while
others manned the elaborate security
banners at Kemper Arena. A few were
posted on the roof of the convention
hall, eyes fixed on the gathering below,
rifles ready.
-- fl& Scpatblfcsa National Committee,
which supervised the security
operation, devised a complicated
system of passes into the arena. They
wore beige one day, blue the next,
green the next, and were checked for
authenticity at points of entry with
ultra- viole- nt lights that, on the genuine
passes, revealed a hidden pattern.
Secret Service agents guarded each
gate with the assistance of metal
detectors Walkie- talki- es were listened
to, tape recorders were tested and even
( See STANDARDS, Page 16)
Although the men in charge of security during
the Republican National Convention would not
say much about the precautions that were taken,
the amount of security was evident everywhere
including the rooftopsof buildings in the area.
( Missourian photo by John Scanlan)
' lit town -
today
7: 15 p. m. Friday Night
Duplicate Bridge Club will meet
at the IOOF Hall, Tenth and
Walnut Streets.
Exhibits
Continuing: Ellis Library,
Textiles Through Two Milleiua, 2
to 5 p m , and Italian Baroque
Drawings, 2 to 5 pm Public
Library, Scenes from Columbia,
watercolors by Lois Mikrut, and
Twentieth Century Doll
Collection loaned by Lois Miller.
Truck bill could increase prices
ByJohnYoch
Missourian staff writer
Consumers in Columbia and small
towns may end up paying more for
some consumer goods if federal
legislation to " modernize" the trucking
industry's regulations is enacted,
trucking industry spokesmen say.
The Motor Carrier Reform Act,
written by the U. S. Department of
Transportation, has two features that
make industry members grind their
gears and teeth in rage: The act would
radically change the rate- maki- ng
structure of the industry to make rates
competitive and it would liberalize
entry into trucking.
George Vitt, executive vice president
and general manager of Orscheln Bros.
Truck Lanes, Inc , said most shipments
coming into a small " consumer town"
such as Columbia are less than a full
truck load " In most cases, they
( shipments) are money losers," he
said.
Small retail stores and service
Isisigbt
companies in Columbia receive
merchandise and supplies from
common carriers, which serve many
companies. If the act becomes law,
these companies would have to pay
higher shipping costs or suffer
curtailed service, Vitt said, and this
would mean higher costs to consumers.
The higher costs would result from
the act reducing the profits truck lines
earn on major routes having demand
for full truck loads, which subsidize the
unprofitable service to small towns,
Vitt said The small town service is
required of a earner when it obtains
Interstate Commerce Commission
( ICO certification, a legal necessity
Only a small town that has heavy
manufacturing, such as Centraha, can
have sufficient demand for full- loa- d
shipments so that service to the town is
profitable, Vitt said. Centraha would
not be considered a consumer town,
unlike Columbia and other Boone
County towns
Vitt's statements are backed up by an
American Trucking Associations, Inc.,
survey, which was tagged as " Small
Town Blues " The survey showed 61 7
per cent of 900 responding truck lines
said they would not service all of the
small towns they presently service if
the ICC did not require it
Lee Sollenbarger, trucking
association president, said the act could
benefit urban consumers, but only at
the expense of rural and small- tow- n
consumers
The key to how these effects would
take place lies in the bureau system of
the trucking industry Bureaus are
private companies whose trucking- compan- y
members vote on rates for
shipment- siz- e classifications
Members of a bureau legally are not
bound to adhere to the rates voted on,
( See FIRMS, Page 13)
Gretchen Lockett quits
day care center post
ByKatherinePhfllipB
Missourian staff writer
Anderson- Haye- s Child Care Center
will advertise for a new director this
Gretchen Lockett resigned as
director a post she held less than
three months after a stormy meeting
of the board members Thursday night
Tossing her written resignation at
board chairman David Thayer, Ms.
Lockett announced, " I have dene my
best, despite all sorts of harassment.
I've washed dishes here . . . I've
trained teachers ... I've done
everything I can to make the place run
. . . I've had it." She then gathered her
belongings from her office and left the
center.
After almost an hour's debate in
closed session, board members voted 6
to 5 not to ask Ms. Lockett to return as
director.
A disagreement about the possibility
of admitting kindergarten children to
the center's program on a half- da- y
basis was the precipating cause of Ms.
Lockett's dramatic departure.
When school begins Monday, the
center will lose 29 of its 44 children.
Eight children will enter first grade
and thus " outgrow" the center's
preschool program. But 21 children will
enter kindergarten, and thus be in
school only half- day- s. Before this year,
Anderson- Haye- s accepted such
children, but the center's new Title XX
contract pays only for fulltime
preschoolers. Unhappy parents
questioned Ms. Lockett at length at the
board meeting about her efforts to
obtain half- da- y funding for the
kindergarteners.
After giving a detailed explanation of
her efforts to straighten out this
problem, Ms. Lockett left the room.
When she returned in five minutes, she
announced her resignation. Board
members listened briefly in silence,
then simultaneously broke into
questions and explanations among
themselves, while several teachers
attending the meeting began sobbing.
Gretchen Lockett
Surprise resignation ,
The meeting had opened amid tension
and controversy when board members
voted 5 to 4 to retain Kerry Fisher as
bookkeeper- accounta- nt at the center.
Ms. Lockett had recommended that his
contract be terminated immediately
There were two abstentions.
Fisher, who is white, last month filed
a complaint of racial discrimination
with the Commission of Human Rights
and Community Relations against Ms
Lockett who is black. Commission
( See REHIRING, Page 18)
Court approves
15- ce- nt jail levy
By Michael Days
Missourian staff writer
The Boone County Court voted
unanimously Thursday to ask voters to
approve a 15 cents per $ 100 assessed
valuation one- ye- ar tax levy for a jail
addition.
The court agreed a week ago to place
the jail tax referendum before the
voters, but did not determine the
amount Northern District Judge
Rodney Smith had suggested that the
court might need to seek a 16- ce- nt levy
because the cost of building the jail
since the original proposal in
November 1975 has risen about 13 per
cent.
But the court reviewed the county's
assessed valuation, set at about $ 240
million, and determined that the 15
cents per $ 100 valuation increase would
raise about $ 360,000.
Smith told the court that the cost of
building the addition in 1977 could be as
high as $ 352,000, according to a report
prepared by the architects. The
original cost of the addition was
estimated at $ 320,000 to $ 325,000.
A county homeowner with a house
valued at $ 30,000 would pay about $ 15
for the jail addition
Southern Distinct Judge Carolyn
Lathrop and Smith agreed the court
should appoint a committee of county
residents to inform Boone Countians of
the need for the 48- pers- on addition.
Lathrop already had begun to seek
individuals to serve on the committee.
But Presiding Judge Bob Brown said,
" It is not up to the County Court to feed
public relation information." The court
did not take any action
Merle Wright, board president of the
Boone Retirement Center, presented
the court with petitions bearing what he
said were more than 670 signatures as a
requirement for a $ 2.8 million bond
referendum the center hopes to place
before the county voters in November.
Current plans call for a 120- be- d
addition.
Missourians
could repeal
tax on food
By Michael S. Weisberg
State capital bureau
JEFFERSON CITY Missounans
will vote Nov. 2 on a constitutional
amendment that would repeal and
prohibit sales taxes on food and drugs,
Secretary of State James Kirkpatnck
announced Thursday.
Kirkpatnck received the petitions
last month with the signatures of
165,421 registered voters His office
verified 117,000 of these, assuring the
proposal a place on the November
ballot. More than 100,500 signatures
were required
If approved by the electorate, the
amendment would exempt drugs and
food purchased for " off premises
human consumption" from taxation
The law would become effective Jan. 1,
1978, with the delay intended to give the
legislature enough time to increase
taxes to replace revenue lost by the
amendment
Supporters of the amendment long
have argued that the sales tax's
regressMty is inequitable since the
heavier burden falls on low- - and
middle- incom- e families
Marie Towley, vice president of the
Tax Reform Group, said, " This tax is
most unfair because it is a tax on basic
human needs. Low- inco- me families
spend the largest proportion of their
income on food, and senior citizens on
fixed incomes pay the largest share on
medicine "
Among the amendment's opponents
is Gov. Christopher Bond. Bond said
last March, " If the people vote
themselves a tax decrease ( on food and
drugs), they have to realize they are
voting themselves a tax increase in
some other area."
The governor said he is unsure what
type of tax increase he would
recommend to replace the sales tax
revenue. It is possible, Bond said, that
income taxes, sales taxes in other areas
( See SCHOOL, Page IS)